The Bulls have made clear to the multiple teams they have talked to regarding Mirotic that they’re seeking a first-round pick with no long-term contracts attached. As previously reported, if the Bulls pick up the team option on Mirotic’s two-year deal, he doesn’t have to agree to a trade.

Executive vice president John Paxson has made clear the team won’t trade Mirotic simply to acquiesce to his desire to be elsewhere in the wake of the Bobby Portis incident. But acquiring a first-round pick for Mirotic allows Lauri Markkanen to develop further and also avoids a huge payday for Mirotic in 2020 free agency at a time the Bulls will have paid Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn is due a big extension.

Mirotic missed the Rockets game with a stomach virus. Mirotic threw up after Friday’s victory in Dallas but played Saturday in Indianapolis and told reporters he thought it was something he ate. Instead, Mirotic fell ill again late that night.

Moms' night out: The Bulls will have special guests on their charter flight to New York on Tuesday. In an idea hatched by Shaun Hickombottom, the team’s senior manager of player development and team services, players’ mothers are accompanying the team for a night of pampering that includes massages and a nice dinner.

Seven seconds or less: Hoiberg shared how he almost played for Mike D’Antoni’s Suns in the heyday of D’Antoni’s and two-time MVP Steve Nash’s fastbreak approach. But doctors couldn’t guarantee no life-threatening risk for Hoiberg, who had just endured his first heart surgery.

“Mike told me if you can run 3-point line to 3-point line, you can play in my system,” Hoiberg said.

Layups: Hoiberg said Cameron Payne will be “re-evaluated in a couple of weeks” after being cleared for “everything except jumping.” The guard has yet to play after September foot surgery. … Hoiberg, on Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle condemning ESPN for quoting LaVar Ball that coach Luke Walton had lost the Lakers without perspective from team personnel: “I think it’s great that Rick, as the president of the coaches association, was sticking up for a fellow coach. I’ll say this: Knowing Luke Walton and everything he has gone through and what he did a year ago with Golden State and coaching a young team now, I think he’s a hell of a coach.”